Climate Matters in the Newsroom: Society of Environmental Journalists Member Survey, March 2018

Transcription

1 Climate Matters in the Newsroom: Society of Environmental Journalists Member Survey, 2018 March 2018 Edward W. Maibach, Richard T. Craig, William A. Yagatich, Joshua Murphy, Shaelyn M. Patzer, and Kristin M. F. Timm Center for Climate Change Communication George Mason University Fairfax, VA Cite as: Maibach, E., Craig, R., Yagatich, W., Murphy, J., Patzer, S., & Timm, K. (2018). Climate Matters in the Newsroom: Society of Environmental Journalists member survey, Center for Climate Change Communication, George Mason University. Retrieved from

2 Climate Matters in the Newsroom 2 Table of Contents Introduction... 4 Key Findings... 5 Roles of Journalists... 8 Which Roles do Journalists Serve?... 8 Which Role is Most Important?... 9 Beat Experience and Perceived Relevance of Climate Change Experience Covering Beats Relevance of Climate Change...11 Difference Between Climate Change and Global Warming Is There a Difference? Convinced that Global Warming is Happening Is Global Warming Happening? How sure are you? Perceptions of Local Climate Change Has the Climate Changed? Description of Climate Change Impacts in Region Harmful or Beneficial Impacts Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Averting Additional Climate Change Averting Harm from Climate Change Local Climate Change Coverage: Experience, Interest, and Expectations Experience Covering Local Climate Change Frequency of Covering Local Climate Change Interest in Reporting on Local Impacts of Climate Change Interest in Reporting on Local Solutions to Climate Change Interest in Local Climate Change Topics Expected Responses from Management Expected Responses from Audience Impacts of Covering Climate Change Impact on Society Obstacles to Covering Climate Change Most Frequent Obstacles to Covering Climate Change Is Downsizing an Obstacle? Is Management an Obstacle? Is Management an Obstacle for Colleagues? Professional Development on Climate Change Trust in Sources of Climate Change Information Change in Trust of Government Institutions? Avoidance of the Terms Global Warming and Climate Change Presenting Opposing Viewpoints: Practices and Attitudes The Practice of Presenting Opposing Viewpoints Attitudes about Presenting Two Sides to a Climate Change Story... 38

3 SEJ Member Survey, Additional Beliefs, Attitudes and Experiences with Global Warming Human Activity or Natural Events Perceived Scientific Consensus about Human-Caused Global Warming Personal Experience of Global Warming Personal Importance of Global Warming Worry About Global Warming Personal Harm from Global Warming Understanding the Science of Climate Change Personal Characteristics Age of Respondents Sex of Respondents Race and Ethnicity of Respondents Current Employment by Media Type Primary Medium Profit/Non-Profit Status of Primary Place of Employment Current Position Time Spent in Current Position Length of Residence in Current Area STEM Training Appendix I: Survey Method... 56

4 Climate Matters in the Newsroom 4 Introduction This report provides the initial findings from an online census survey of Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ) members conducted as part of the Climate Matters in the Newsroom project a National Science Foundation-funded collaboration between George Mason University, Climate Central, NASA, NOAA, SEJ and other professional societies the aim of which is to enable local, science-based reporting on climate change. This survey was designed to identify the needs of journalists who wish to report on climate change as a local issue and the challenges they face in doing so. The findings presented in this report provide broad insights into SEJ members views on journalism, climate change, and more specifically local climate change reporting. The survey findings include: (a) members views about the role of journalists and their impacts on society; (b) understanding of climate change; (c) perspectives on and experience with climate change reporting; (d) obstacles to reporting on climate change; and (e) perspectives and practices of presenting opposing viewpoints in climate change stories. These survey findings will be used to guide the ongoing development and delivery of Climate Matters materials, a science-based, localized, informational resource originally developed to help TV meteorologists report on the local relevance of global climate change. This survey was conducted in early All 1,274 SEJ members were invited to participate in this survey via an sent on January 3 rd, and five additional requests to participate were sent throughout the month. By the end of January, when the survey closed, 617 SEJ members had participated in the survey, yielding a survey participation rate of 48.4%. This survey and its findings are an important first step in producing localized climate change reporting resources for SEJ members and other United States-based journalists. We would like to recognize the important contributions and partnership of SEJ board members and staff. Without their help, this survey would not have been possible. We would also like to sincerely thank the 617 SEJ members who took time out of their busy schedules to participate in this survey. We hope they will find the information in this report enlightening and useful. Funding for this research was provided by NSF Award #DRL Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Notes: Due to rounding error, the figures in this report do not always total to 100%. Open-ended responses will be coded and reported at a future date.

5 SEJ Member Survey, Key Findings About Climate Change Reporting Practices: Nearly 7 out of 10 SEJ survey participants had reported on or supervised journalists reporting on a local climate change-related story in the prior 12 months. Of those, approximately half reported four or fewer stories during that period, while the other half reported five or more stories; nearly 1 out of 10 reported or supervised more than 40 stories. Nearly all SEJ survey participants say they are at least slightly interested in reporting local climate impacts stories, with nearly 7 out of 10 saying they are very interested. Similarly, more than 7 out of 10 say they are very interested in reporting local climate solutions stories. The local climate change stories they are most interested in reporting focus on ecosystems, droughts and water shortages, local wildlife, forests, extreme precipitation, energy, human health, air quality, extreme heat events, sea-level rise and coastal flooding, the economy, and crop and livestock production. Nearly two-thirds of SEJ survey participants receive or expect largely positive responses from management when covering or supervising local climate change stories; only 7% receive or expect largely negative responses from management. Nearly two out three of SEJ survey participants receive or expect largely positive responses from their audience when covering or supervising local climate change stories; only 7% receive or expect largely negative responses. Nearly all SEJ survey participants feel that reporting on climate change will be beneficial to society, with 4 out of 5 believing it will be very beneficial. Two-thirds of SEJ survey participants identify lack of time for field reporting as an important obstacle to reporting on climate change, making this their most common obstacle. Half also identify lack of time or space in their news outlet as an obstacle, and over 4 in 10 identify lack of training in climate science as an obstacle. A small number of participants also identify lack of news management support, general management or owner support, and lack of access to role models as important obstacles to climate change reporting. Nearly 6 out of 10 SEJ survey participants think downsizing in their news organization has created or exacerbated obstacles to reporting on climate change, with about 2 out of 10 saying this has occurred a lot in their news organization. Almost 1 in 5 SEJ survey participants say they have experienced at least one instance where management softened or censored a climate change-related story that they had personally reported or supervised. SEJ survey participants overwhelmingly think climate change is very relevant to most beats, especially environment, energy, agriculture, science and technology, weather, and food each of which are seen as relevant by more than 90% of participants. Large majorities also

6 Climate Matters in the Newsroom 6 see politics, business and finance, military and national security, investigative reporting, health and medical, and transportation as climate-relevant beats. Conversely, fewer than 30% think of climate change as very relevant to crime, public safety, and religion, and fewer than think of it as very relevant to art and entertainment and sports. More than half of SEJ survey participants are interested in a range of professional development activities related to climate change reporting, especially learning about climate change solutions, followed by learning about climate change impacts, learning how to access credible sources of climate stories, and learning how to craft local climate stories. SEJ survey participants tend to most trust the climate information provided by independent science organizations including professional science societies, the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, and the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Universities and journalism professional societies are also highly trusted. In comparison, relatively few trust think tanks (liberal, conservative or non-partisan), and advocacy organizations (both business and environmental). More than 3 out of 4 SEJ survey participants say their trust in U.S. government agencies as sources of information about climate change has decreased over the prior 12 months, coinciding with the first year of the Trump administration; few say their trust has increased. Fourteen percent of SEJ survey participants say they purposively avoided using the terms global warming or climate change on at least one occasion in their reporting. More than 7 out of 10 SEJ survey participants who had covered climate change in the prior year say they rarely or never presented an opposing view point (i.e., someone not convinced of climate change). Conversely, 2 out of 10 say they did so sometime or often, and nearly 1 out of 10 say they did so almost always or always. While nearly all SEJ members are convinced that human-caused climate change is occurring, many feel that reporting two sides of a climate change story is advantageous for one or more reasons. About 3 out of 10 feel that doing so will: avoid the impression of biased reporting; help maintain the journalist s credibility; avoid audience criticism; and is essential to objective journalism. About 3 out of 10 also feel that this practice strengthens the argument that climate change is occurring, and almost one quarter feel it will help them reach more people (i.e., grow the size of their audience). However, nearly 6 out of 10 feel this practice undermines the argument that climate change is occurring, and 8 disagree that the practice is important because the science of climate change is still being debated. About Views on Climate Change Nearly 9 out of 10 SEJ survey participants feel they know the science of climate change somewhat, moderately, or very well. SEJ survey participants are more or less equally divided on whether the terms climate change and global warming mean the same thing or different things to them.

7 SEJ Member Survey, With few exceptions, all SEJ survey participants think global warming is happening; 4 out of 5 say they are extremely sure. Nearly all SEJ survey participants think the global warming that has occurred in the past 50 years is due mostly to human activity. Fully two-thirds of SEJ survey participants are aware that 97% or more of climate scientists think human-caused global warming is occurring; fully 9 out of 10 say the scientific consensus is 90% or greater. More than 9 out of 10 SEJ survey participants think at least a small amount of additional climate change can be averted over the next 50 years if mitigation measures are taken worldwide; about 3 out of 4 think a moderate or large amount of climate change can be averted. Similarly, more than 9 out of 10 SEJ survey participants think at least a small amount of harm from climate change can be averted in the U.S. over the next 50 years if adaptation measures are taken, while more than 3 out of 4 think a moderate or large amount of harm can be averted. Fully 96% of SEJ survey participants agree with the statement I have personally experienced the effects of global warming, with more than 7 out of 10 strongly agreeing. Nearly all SEJ survey participants say the climate has changed in their region in the past 50 years. Of those who do, more than 7 in 10 say the impacts have been primarily or exclusively harmful, and about 1 in 10 say the impacts have been equally mixed between beneficial and harmful; less than 1% say the impacts have been primarily or exclusively beneficial. SEJ survey participants who think there have been climate change impacts in their region whether harmful or beneficial and those who don t know were asked about the nature of those impacts. The harmful impacts most commonly mentioned were related to water resources, ecosystems or forests, coastal properties, infrastructure, seasonal cycles, and human health. The most common mixed impacts that is, impacts with both positive and negative aspects included economic, tourism/recreation/leisure, and agricultural. Nearly all SEJ survey participants say the issue of global warming is at least somewhat personally important to them; nearly three-quarters say it is extremely important to them. Nearly all SEJ survey participants say they are worried about global warming; nearly 4 out of 5 say they are very worried. More than 9 out of 10 SEJ survey participants feel they will be personally harmed by global warming; nearly 8 out of 10 feel they will be personally harmed a moderate amount or a great deal.

8 Climate Matters in the Newsroom 8 Roles of Journalists The survey began with general questions about how participants see the role(s) of journalists in society. Which Roles do Journalists Serve? Nearly all SEJ survey participants feel that journalists serve society through a range of roles from reporting the facts to holding people, organizations and social institutions accountable.* Roles Journalists Serve Through Their Work Yes No No Answer 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 80% 50% 100% 99% 98% 97% 98% 40% 30% 18% 0% Reporting the facts Informing/Raising awareness about relevant developments and issues Exposing social problems Holding people, organizations, and social institutions accountable Educating the public about relevant developments and issues Other (please specify) "In your opinion, what role(s) do journalists serve through their work? (Please select all that apply)" Base: All SEJ participants who answered the current question; n=617; January 2018; Data labels not pictured for amounts less than. * The additional roles that survey participants identified in response to the Other are open-ended responses that will be coded and reported at a future date.

9 SEJ Member Survey, Which Role is Most Important? SEJ survey participants hold a wide range of views about which of the roles that journalists play in society is personally most important to them. Slightly more than half feel that either reporting the facts or informing and raising awareness about relevant developments and issues are the most important role they serve through their work. In addition, most value their role in educating the public about relevant developments and issues. Another most value the role of holding people, organizations, and social institutions accountable, and 3% most value the role of exposing social problems. 30% The Most Important Role Journalists Serve Through Their Work 29% 27% 2 19% 19% 1 3% 4% 0% Reporting the facts Informing/Raising awareness about relevant developments and issues Exposing social problems Holding people, organizations, and social institutions accountable Educating the public about relevant developments and issues Other (please specify) "Which of the following roles is most important to you as a journalist?" Base: All SEJ participants who answered the current question; n=571; January 2018.

10 Climate Matters in the Newsroom 10 Beat Experience and Perceived Relevance of Climate Change To get a sense of what kind of story climate change is seen as by journalists, we asked questions about participants beat experiences, and about the relevance of climate change to various beats. Experience Covering Beats Not surprisingly, the most common beats covered by SEJ survey participants in the prior year were environment, science and technology, and energy each of which was covered by nearly 70% or more. Other common beats included agriculture, politics, weather, health/medical, food, humaninterest, and investigative reporting each of which were covered by approximately 40% to 50%. Environment Science/Technology Energy Agriculture Politics Health/Medical Investigative Reporting Human Interest Weather Food Business & Finance Editorial/Opinion Transportation Art/Entertainment Crime & Public Safety Consumer News Housing/Real Estate Work Military/Defense/National Security Beats Covered During the Past 12 Months Religion 96% 74% 69% 53% 46% 43% 42% 42% 41% 40% 31% 27% 26% 18% 18% 13% 13% 12% 11% Yes No No answer 0% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 32% 31% 32% 3 Sports 8% 36% 57% "Which, if any, of the following beats have you (or people you supervise) covered at any time during the past 12 months?" Base: All SEJ participants who answered the current questions; n=593; January 2018; Data labels are not pictured for amounts less than. 24% % 31% 30% 17% 18% 18% 19% 17% 8% 7% 38% 39% 38% 40% 40% 40% 4 48% 50% 49% 52% 53% 5 56% 56% 5 30% 19% 23%

11 SEJ Member Survey, Relevance of Climate Change SEJ survey participants overwhelmingly think climate change is relevant to most beats, especially environment, energy, agriculture, science and technology, weather, and food each of which are seen as very climate-relevant by more than 90% of participants. Large majorities also see politics, business and finance, military and national security, investigative reporting, health and medical, and transportation as climate-relevant beats. Conversely, fewer than 30% think of climate change as very relevant to crime, public safety, and religion, and fewer than think of it as very relevant to art and entertainment and sports. Relevance of Climate Change to Beats Very relevant Somewhat relevant Not relevant No answer 0% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Environment Energy Agriculture Science/Technology Weather Food Politics Business & Finance Military/Defense/National Security Investigative Reporting Health/Medical Transportation 98% 97% 96% 94% 93% 91% 87% 79% 76% 74% 73% 70% 6% 9% 17% 18% 22% 24% Editorial/Opinion 64% 26% 6% Housing/Real Estate 53% 39% Consumer News 50% 38% 7% Human Interest 49% 42% Work 40% 46% 9% 6% Crime & Public Safety 28% 49% 18% 6% Religion 27% 51% 17% 6% Art/Entertainment 9% 56% 27% 8% Sports 8% 39% 4 8% How relevant do you think climate change is to the following story topics or beats? Base: All SEJ participants who answered the current question; n=594; January 2018; Data labels are not pictured for amounts less than.

12 Climate Matters in the Newsroom 12 Difference Between Climate Change and Global Warming Polling research has shown that the terms global warming and climate change mean largely the same thing to some people, and different things to other people. We asked several questions to determine how SEJ members see these terms. Is There a Difference? SEJ survey participants are more or less equally divided on whether the terms climate change and global warming mean the same thing or different things to them. Those participants who see global warming and climate change as being different things were asked: Briefly, how would you describe the difference in meaning between the terms "climate change" and "global warming"? These openended responses will be coded and reported at a future date. "Global Warming" and "Climate Change": Same Thing or Different Things? Same things Different things Don't know 1% 4 54% For you, do the terms "climate change" and "global warming" mean the same thing or different things? Base: All SEJ participants who answered the current question; n=598; January 2018.

13 SEJ Member Survey, Convinced that Global Warming is Happening Research has shown that Americans hold a wide range of views about global warming. At various points throughout the survey, we posed questions to SEJ participants about some of their climate change views that might, or might not, influence their climate change reporting. The most basic of these views is whether or not they think global warming is happening. Prior research has shown that the vast majority of climate scientists 97% or more are convinced that human-caused climate change is happening. In fact, the 2014 U.S. National Climate Assessment found that a range of impacts from global climate change are already occurring in every region of the country. Is Global Warming Happening? How sure are you? With few exceptions specifically, one participant who says it isn t happening and three who say they don t know all SEJ survey participants think global warming is happening. In response to a follow-up question asking how sure they are, 4 out of 5 say they are extremely sure global warming is happening and nearly all of the rest say they are very sure. Convinced that Global Warming is Happening Yes No Don't know Less than 1% Less than 1% 99% What do you think: Do you think that global warming is happening? Base: All SEJ respondents who answered the current question; n=598; January 2018.

14 Climate Matters in the Newsroom 14 Certainty that Global Warming is Happening No, extremely sure No, very sure No, somewhat sure No, not at all sure Don't know Yes, not at all sure Yes, somewhat sure Yes, very sure Yes, extremely sure Less than 1% Less than 1% 2% Yes, very sure, 17% Yes, extremely sure, 80% "What do you think: Do you think that global warming is happening? How sure are you that global warming is happening? How sure are you that global warming is not happening? Base: All SEJ respondents who provided answers to any of the following questions: "Do you think global warming is happening?" "How sure are you that global warming is happening?" or "How sure are you that global warming is not happening?"; n=597; January 2018.

15 SEJ Member Survey, Perceptions of Local Climate Change Has the Climate Changed? Nearly all SEJ survey participants say the climate has changed in their region in the past 50 years. Perceived Local Climage Change Over the Past 50 Years Yes No Don't know Less than 1% 94% To the best of your knowledge, has the climate in your region changed over the past 50 years? Base: All SEJ respondents who answered the current question; n=598; January 2018.

16 Climate Matters in the Newsroom 16 Description of Climate Change Impacts in Region Among those SEJ survey participants who think the climate has changed in their region over the past half-decade, more than 7 in 10 say the impacts have been primarily or exclusively harmful. Approximately 1 in 10 say the impacts have been approximately equally mixed between beneficial and harmful, while almost none say the impacts have been primarily or exclusively beneficial. Perceived Harm and Benefit from Local Climate Change 70% 6 60% 50% 40% 30% 13% 13% 8% 0% Less than 1% The impacts have been exclusively beneficial Less than 1% The impacts have been primarily beneficial The impacts have been approximately equally mixed between beneficial and harmful The impacts have been primarily harmful The impacts have been exclusively harmful Don't know Which of the following best describes the impact(s) of climate change in your region over the past 50 years? Base: SEJ participants who indicated "Yes" or "Don't know" to the question, "To the best of your knowledge, has the climate in your region changed over the past 50 years?" and who answered the current question; n=580; January 2018.

17 SEJ Member Survey, Harmful or Beneficial Impacts SEJ survey participants who think there have been climate change impacts in their region whether harmful or beneficial and those who don t know were asked about the nature of those impacts. Nearly 70% or more of SEJ participants say there have been harmful impacts on water resources, ecosystems or forests, coastal properties, infrastructure, seasonal cycles, and human health in their region, and half or more feel those impacts were exclusively harmful. The most commonly identified mixed impacts that is, where participants are experiencing both positive and negative impacts include economic, tourism/recreation/leisure, and agricultural impacts. Perceived Specific Harms and Benefits from Local Climate Change Harmful Impacts Only Beneficial Impacts Only Dont Know Harmful and Beneficial Impacts No Impacts No Answer Impacts on Water Resources 69% 14% 12% Impacts on Ecosystems or Forests 68% 19% 11% Impacts on Coastal Property 6 6% 1 11% Impacts on Infrastructure 57% 14% 24% Impacts on Seasonal Cycles 53% 34% Impacts on Human Health 50% 19% 2 Impacts on Agricultural Resources 43% 38% 1 Impacts on Energy Resources 33% 28% 6% 28% Impacts on the Economy 31% 41% 23% Impacts on Tourism, Recreation, or Leisure 30% 40% 22% 0% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Have any of the following impacts - harmful or beneficial - occurred in your region of the country over the past 50 years? Base: SEJ members who indicated "Yes" or "Don't know" to the question, "To the best of your knowledge, has the climate in your region changed over the past 50 years?" and who answered the current question; n=571; January 2018; Data labels are not pictured for amounts less than.

18 Climate Matters in the Newsroom 18 Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation The current impacts of climate change are a matter of facts. Future impacts, however, are less certain and will be largely influenced by human decisions and actions going forward. We asked journalists for their views on the extent to which climate change can be prevented, and harm averted, if appropriate actions are taken. Averting Additional Climate Change More than 9 out of 10 SEJ survey participants think that at least some amount of additional climate change can be averted over the next 50 years if mitigation measures are taken worldwide; about 3 out of 4 think a moderate or large amount of climate change can be averted. Belief About Potential to Mitigate Climate Change 50% 4 46% 40% 3 30% 28% % 0% 2% Almost all additional climate change can be averted A large amount of additional climate change can be averted A moderate amount of additional climate change can be averted A small amount of additional climate change can be averted 4% 4% Almost no additional climate change can be averted Don't know Less than 1% I don't think there will be additional climate change over the next 50 years Over the next 50 years, to what extent can additional climate change be averted if mitigation measures are taken worldwide (i.e., substantially reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases)? Base: All SEJ respondents who answered the current question; n=581; January 2018.

19 SEJ Member Survey, Averting Harm from Climate Change More than 9 out of 10 SEJ survey participants think at least some harm from climate change can be averted in the United States over the next 50 years if adaptation measures are taken, while more than 3 out of 4 think a moderate or large amount of harm can be averted. Belief About Potential to Adapt to Climate Change 50% % 3 32% 30% % 1% Almost all harm can be averted A large amount of harm can be averted A moderate amount of harm can be averted A small amount of harm can be averted 2% Almost no harm can be averted Don't know Less than 1% I don't think there will be harm from climate change over the next 50 years Over the next 50 years, to what extent can harm from climate change be averted in the United States if adaptation measures (i.e., actions to reduce vulnerability) are taken? Base: All SEJ respondents who answered the current question; n=580; January 2018.

20 Climate Matters in the Newsroom 20 Local Climate Change Coverage: Experience, Interest, and Expectations Surveys of the public reveal that most Americans don t read or hear much about climate change in the media. Central to the purpose of our survey is determining SEJ members level of interest in reporting on climate change, and how much they are currently doing. To that end, we asked a number of questions about SEJ members experiences, interests, and expectations regarding climate change reporting, especially local stories. Experience Covering Local Climate Change Nearly 7 out of 10 SEJ survey participants had reported on or supervised journalists reporting on a local climate change-related story in the prior 12 months. Experience Covering Local Climate Change-related Stories in the Prior 12 Months Yes No Don't know 2% 29% 69% In the past 12 months, have you (or people you supervise) covered any local climate change-related stories? Base: All SEJ respondents who answered the current question; n=579; January 2018.

21 SEJ Member Survey, Frequency of Covering Local Climate Change Of those SEJ members who had reported or supervised at least one local climate change-related story in the past 12 months, approximately half had reported four or fewer stories during the period, while the other half had reported five or more stories, with nearly 1 out of 10 having reported or supervised more than 40 stories. Number of Local Climate Change-related Stories Covered in the Prior 12 Months 30% 2 23% 2 17% 19% 1 7% 8% 2% 0% None 1 or 2 3 or 4 5 to 9 10 to to 40 More than 40 Over the past 12 months, how many local climate change-related stories have you (or people you supervise) covered? Base: SEJ respondents who answered "Yes" to the question "In the past 12 months, have you (or people you supervise) covered any local climate change-related stories?" and answered the current question; n=397; January 2018.

22 Climate Matters in the Newsroom 22 Interest in Reporting on Local Impacts of Climate Change Nearly all SEJ survey participants say they are at least slightly interested in reporting local climate impacts stories, with nearly 7 out of 10 saying they are very interested. Interest in Covering the Local Impacts of Climate Change 80% 70% 68% 60% 50% 40% 30% 21% 8% 3% 0% Not interested Slightly interested Moderately interested Very interested How interested are you in covering (or supervising) stories on local impacts of climate change? Base: All SEJ respondents who answered the current question; n=572; January 2018.

23 SEJ Member Survey, Interest in Reporting on Local Solutions to Climate Change Nearly all SEJ survey participants say they are at least slightly interested in reporting on local climate solutions stories, with more than 7 out of 10 saying they are very interested. Interest in Covering Local Solutions to Climate Change 80% 70% 71% 60% 50% 40% 30% 21% 6% 0% 2% Not interested Slightly interested Moderately interested Very interested How interested are you in covering (or supervising) stories on local solutions to climate change? Base: All SEJ respondents who answered the current question; n=571; January 2018.

24 Climate Matters in the Newsroom 24 Interest in Local Climate Change Topics Most SEJ participants say they are interested in covering or supervising a wide range of local climate change stories. The highest level of interest is for stories focused on ecosystems, droughts and water shortages, local wildlife, forests, extreme precipitation, and energy more than 8 out of 10 are interested in reporting on these topics. Other topics with high levels of interest include human health, air quality, extreme heat events, sea-level rise and coastal flooding, the economy, and crop and livestock production with more than 7 out of 10 interested in reporting on these topics. Interest in Covering Local Climate Change Topics Yes No No answer 0% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Ecosystems 87% 7% 6% Drought and water shortages 8 9% 6% Local wildlife 8 6% Forests 82% 8% Extreme percepitation 82% 8% Energy 82% 8% Human health 77% 1 8% Air quality 76% 13% 11% Extreme heat events 7 14% 11% Sea-level rise and coastal flooding 73% 18% 9% Economy 73% 16% 11% Crop and livestock production 72% 17% 11% Wildfires 69% 21% Infrastructure 68% 19% 14% Hurricanes and storm surge 6 24% 11% Transportation 61% 2 14% Other 87% Which, if any, of the following local climate change topics are you interested in covering (or supervising)? Base: All SEJ participants who answered the current question; n=561; January 2018; Data labels are not pictured for amounts less than.

25 SEJ Member Survey, Expected Responses from Management Nearly two-thirds of SEJ participants receive or expect largely positive responses from management when covering or supervising local climate change stories. Only 7% receive or expect largely negative responses from management. Actual and Expected Responses from Management When Covering Local Climate Change Stories 50% 47% 4 40% 3 30% % 1% 6% 7% 8% 0% Mostly or entirely negative Mixed but leaning negative Mixed, about 50/50 negative and positive Mixed but leaning positive Mostly or entirely positive I get (or Unsure/Don't would expect know to get) very few reactions either way Which of the following best describes the responses you get (or would expect to get) from management when covering (or supervising) local climate change stories: Base: All SEJ respondents who answered the current question; n=552; January 2018.

26 Climate Matters in the Newsroom 26 Expected Responses from Audience Nearly 2 out of 3 SEJ survey participants receive or expect largely positive responses from their audience when covering or supervising local climate change stories. Only 7% receive or expect largely negative responses from their audience. Actual and Expected Responses from Audience Members When Covering Local Climate Change Stories 40% % 30% 2 17% 1 8% 2% 4% 0% Mostly or entirely negative Mixed but leaning negative Mixed, about 50/50 negative and positive Mixed but leaning positive Mostly or entirely positive I get (or Unsure/Don't would expect know to get) very few reactions either way Which of the following best describes the responses you get (or would expect to get) from audience members when covering (or supervising) local climate change stories: Base: All SEJ respondents who answered the current question; n=562; January 2018.

27 SEJ Member Survey, Impacts of Covering Climate Change Journalists like all professionals are likely to consider the impact of their work decisions on the broader community of which they are a part. We asked SEJ members what they see to be the likely consequences of reporting on climate change. Impact on Society Nearly all SEJ survey participants feel that reporting on climate change will be beneficial to society, with 4 of 5 saying it will be very beneficial. Belief About Impact of Climate Reporting on Society 90% 80% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 1 0% Very beneficial Moderately beneficial 3% Slightly beneficial 1% Neither beneficial nor detrimental Less than 1% Slightly detrimental Less than 1% 1% Moderately detrimental Very detrimental To what extent will covering climate change be beneficial or detrimental to society? Base: All SEJ respondents who answered the current question; n=563; January 2018.

28 Climate Matters in the Newsroom 28 Obstacles to Covering Climate Change Behavioral science research consistently shows that across a broad range of beneficial behaviors many people fail to perform beneficial behaviors not because they don t see value in them, but rather because they find the behaviors to be difficult to perform. Identifying what makes a behavior difficult to perform that is, identifying the obstacles to behavioral performance can lead to important insights about how to design resources that make the behavior easier to perform. Most Frequent Obstacles to Covering Climate Change Fully two-thirds of SEJ participants identify lack of time for field reporting as an important obstacle in reporting on climate change, making this their most common obstacle. Half also identify lack of time or space in their news outlet as an obstacle, and over 4 out of 10 identify lack of training in climate science as an obstacle (even though more than 9 out of 10 feel they know the science of climate change somewhat, moderately, or very well). Fewer participants identify lack of news management support, general management or owner support, and lack of access to role models as important obstacles to climate change reporting.

29 SEJ Member Survey, Perceived Obstacles to Reporting on Climate Change Yes No No answer 0% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Lack of time for field reporting 67% 28% Lack of time/space in news outlet 51% 40% 9% Lack of training in climate science 41% 50% 9% Lack of news management support 28% 59% 13% Lack of general management or owner support 24% 62% 14% Lack of access to role models for climate change reporting 22% 6 13% Lack of access to local sources 19% 69% 12% Lack of audience support/hostile audience 18% 68% 14% Lack of access to trusted scientific information 13% 7 12% Lack of access to experts 11% 76% 13% Other 11% 84% Which of the following, if any, are important obstacles for you in covering climate change (or supervising others)? Base: SEJ participants who have covered (or supervised) a local climate change-related story in the past 12 months, or who indicated interest in reporting on local impacts or solutions to climate change and who answered the current question; n=535; January 2018.

30 Climate Matters in the Newsroom 30 Is Downsizing an Obstacle? Nearly 6 out of 10 SEJ survey participants think downsizing in their news organization has created or exacerbated obstacles to reporting on climate change, with about 2 out of 10 saying this has occurred a lot in their news organization. The Extent of Downsizing Creating or Exacerbating Obstacles to Covering Climate Change 4 40% 42% 3 30% 2 21% 18% 19% 1 0% Not at all A little A moderate amount A lot To what extent has downsizing in your news organization created or exacerbated obstacles to covering climate change? Base: All SEJ respondents who indicated at least one important obstacle to covering climate change and answered the current question; n=447; January 2018.

31 SEJ Member Survey, Is Management an Obstacle? Almost 1 in 5 SEJ survey participants say they have experienced at least one instance where management softened or censored a climate change-related story that they had personally reported or supervised. We asked a follow-up question to those who had this experience: In what way(s) has management ever softened or censored a story you covered (or supervised) related to climate change? These open-ended responses will be coded and reported at a future date. Management's Censorship and Softening of Climate Change-related Stories Yes No Don't know 13% 19% 68% Has management ever softened or censored a story you covered (or supervised) related to climate change? Base: All SEJ respondents who indicated a lack of support from news managment, general management, or owner as an obstacle to climate reporting, and who answered the current question; n=168; January 2018.

32 Climate Matters in the Newsroom 32 Is Management an Obstacle for Colleagues? Interestingly, given the higher prevalence of personally experiencing the situation, only 4% of SEJ survey participants say they have ever seen management soften or censor a colleague s climate change reporting. We asked a follow-up question to those who had: In what way(s) has management ever softened or censored a story a colleague covered (or supervised) related to climate change? These open-ended responses will be coded and reported at a future date. Management's Censorship and Softening of Colleague's Climate Change-related Stories Yes No Don't know 4% 2 71% Have you seen management soften or censor a story a colleague covered (or supervised) related to climate change? Base: All SEJ respondents who indicated lack of general management or owner support or lack of news management support as an obstacle and have not personally experienced management softening or censoring a story related to climate change, and who answered the current question; n=130; January 2018.

33 SEJ Member Survey, Professional Development on Climate Change Well over half of SEJ survey participants are interested in a range of professional development activities related to climate change reporting. The professional development activities of greatest interest are learning about climate change solutions, followed by learning about climate change impacts, learning how to access credible sources of climate stories, and learning how to craft local climate stories. Interest in Climate-Related Professional Development Activities Very interested Somewhat interested Not interested No answer 0% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Learning about climate change solutions 66% 17% 11% Learning about climate change impacts 5 21% 1 Learning how to access credible sources for climate change-related stories 50% 17% 17% 6% 7% Learning how to craft local stories about climate change 49% 18% 17% 8% The opportunity to compete for awards for excellence in climate change reporting 42% 16% 18% 9% 11% Learning about climate change causes 40% 16% 24% 8% 9% Other 8% 89% How interested would you be in the following types of professional development? Base: All SEJ participants who answered the current question; n=553; January 2018; Data labels not pictured for amounts less than.

34 Climate Matters in the Newsroom 34 Trust in Sources of Climate Change Information SEJ survey participants tend to most trust the climate information provided by independent science organizations including professional science societies, the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, and the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Universities and journalism professional societies are also highly trusted by about half of the survey participants. In comparison, think tanks (liberal, conservative, or non-partisan) and advocacy organizations (both business and environmental) are highly trusted by relatively few. Trust in Sources of Climate Change Information Strongly trust Moderately trust Neither trust nor distrust Moderately distrust Strongly distrust Not sure No answer 0% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Science professional societies (e.g., AAAS) 69% 21% National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine 66% 21% 7% United Nations (e.g., Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change or IPCC) 64% 22% 6% Universities/Colleges 54% 33% 8% Journalism professional societies 49% 33% 12% Science advocacy organizations (e.g. Union of Concerned Scientists) 41% 41% 11% Climate Central 39% 27% 13% 18% U.S. government agencies (e.g., EPA, NOAA, NASA) 26% 39% 16% 9% 6% Environmental organizations (e.g. EDF) 47% 19% 9% Non-partisan think tanks (e.g., Brookings Institute) 4 18% 8% Liberal/Progressive think tanks (e.g., Center for American Progress) 9% 3 29% 16% Business advocacy organizations (e.g., Chamber of Commerce) 8% 2 38% 24% Conservative think tanks (e.g., Heritage Foundation) 11% 26% In general, how much do you trust or distrust the climate change information currently provided by the following organizations? Base: All SEJ participants who answered the current question; n=559; January 2018; Data labels are not pictured for amounts less than. 56%

35 SEJ Member Survey, Change in Trust of Government Institutions? More than 3 out of 4 SEJ survey participants say their trust in U.S. government agencies as sources of information about climate change has decreased over the prior 12 months, coinciding with the first year of the Trump administration. Those participants who say they had experienced decreased (and increased) trust were asked: Did your trust in these sources decrease (increase) slightly or strongly? A small majority of these participants said their trust had decreased strongly. Change in Trust of U.S. Government Agencies as Sources of Climate Change Information Strongly decreased Slightly decreased Stayed the Same Slightly increased Strongly increased Less than 1% Less than 1% Stayed the Same, 23% Strongly decreased, 41% Slightly decreased, 3 In the past 12 months, has your trust in U.S. government agencies (e.g., EPA, NOAA, NASA) as sources of information about climate change increased, decreased, or stayed the same?" "Did your trust in these sources increase slightly or strongly?" "Did your trust in these sources decrease slightly or strongly?" Base: All SEJ participants who answered any of the following questions: "In the past 12 months, has your trust in U.S. government agencies (e.g., EPA, NOAA, NASA) as sources of information about climate change increased, decreased, or stayed the same?" "Did your trust in these sources increase slightly or strongly?" or "Did your trust in these sources decrease slightly or strongly?"; n=550; January 2018.

36 Climate Matters in the Newsroom 36 Avoidance of the Terms Global Warming and Climate Change Fourteen percent of SEJ survey participants who had covered or supervised climate change stories in the past year say they purposively avoided using the terms global warming or climate change on at least one occasion. In a follow-up question, we asked them why they did so. These openended responses will be coded and reported at a future date. Avoiding the Terms "Global Warming" and "Climate Change" When Covering Climate Change Stories Yes No 14% 86% When you covered (or supervised) climate change stories in the past 12 months, did you ever purposefully exclude the terms "global warming" or "climate change"?" Base: SEJ respondents who covered or supervised local climate change-related stories in the past 12 months and who answered the current question; n=389; January 2018.

37 SEJ Member Survey, Presenting Opposing Viewpoints: Practices and Attitudes Balance is the professional norm used by some journalists to ensure their reporting remains objective, by including spokespersons on conflicting sides of a debate and by giving equal time and weight to both sides of a story. A false balance occurs when this approach is taken despite a weight of evidence strongly favoring one side over another. In effect, such false balance has the potential to perpetrate an information bias. Scholars suggest that journalistic accounts of human-caused climate change that include an opposing viewpoint are presenting a false balance. The Practice of Presenting Opposing Viewpoints More than 7 out of 10 SEJ survey participants who had covered climate change stories over the past year say they rarely or never presented an opposing view point (i.e., someone not convinced of climate change). Conversely, 2 in 10 say they did so sometimes or often, and nearly 1 in 10 say they did so almost always or always. In a follow-up question, we asked them why they did so. These open-ended responses will be coded and reported at a future date. Practice of Presenting Two Sides of a Climate Story 80% 70% 71% 60% 50% 40% 30% 0% Never or rarely Sometimes or often Almost always or always 8% 2% I have not covered climate change Over the past 12 months, when you covered (or supervised) climate change stories, how often did you present "an opposing viewpoint" in your story (i.e., the view of someone who is not convinced of climate change)? Base: SEJ respondents who indicated they covered (or supervised) a local climate change-related story in the past 12 months and who answered the current question; n=383; Jan

38 Climate Matters in the Newsroom 38 Attitudes about Presenting Two Sides to a Climate Change Story While nearly all SEJ members are convinced that human-caused climate change is occurring, many feel that reporting two sides of a climate change story is advantageous for one or more reasons. For example, approximately 3 in 10 feel that doing so will: avoid the impression of biased reporting; help maintain the journalist s credibility; avoid audience criticism; and is essential to objective journalism. Approximately 3 in 10 also feel that this practice strengthens the argument that climate change is occurring, and almost one quarter feel it will help them reach more people (i.e., grow the size of their audience). However, nearly 6 in 10 SEJ survey participants feel that this practice undermines the argument that climate change is occurring, and 8 disagree that the practice is important because the science of climate change is still being debated. Attitudes About Presenting Two Sides of a Climate Change Story Strongly disagree Somewhat disagree Somewhat agree Strongly agree No answer Is important because the science of climate change is still being debated 68% 17% Will enable me to avoid criticism from my supervisors 54% 22% 14% Will help grow the size of my audience 46% 28% 19% Is essential to objective, balanced journalism 44% 26% 14% 14% Will enable me to avoid criticism from my audience 42% 27% 24% Will help maintain my credibility 42% 24% 11% Will strengthen the argument that climate change is occurring 42% 27% 21% 7% Will avoid my appearing biased 39% 2 2 9% Enables me to acknowledge that different viewpoints exist 24% 17% 39% 17% Will undermine the argument that climate change is occurring 18% 21% 28% 31% 0% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements: Presenting two sides of a climate change story..." Base: All SEJ participants who answered the current question; n=533; January 2018; Data labels are not pictured for amounts less than.